Rail-tie.



W. A. LUCAS.

M am TIE. APPLICATWN FILED DEC 2,2 |917.

1,259,756; Patented Mar.19,1918.

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WILLIAM A. LUCAS, 0F MOOREWOOD, OKLAHOMA.

RAIL-TIE.

Application filed December 22, 1917.

To all whom #may concern.'

Be it known that I, WILLIAM A. LUCAS, a citizen of the United States,residing at Moorewood, in the county of Custer and State of Oklahoma,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rail-Ties, of whichthe following is a specification, reference being had Vto theaccompanying drawings.

This invention relates to vrailroad ties and has for its primary objectto provide a metallic rail tie having cushioning means for the railswhereby the weight of the locomotive will be yieldingly sustained andundue wear upon the ties or displacement thereof obviated.

It is another important object of my invention to provide a tie of theabove character which is so constructed that lateral spreading movementof the rails will be pre- Vented.

The invention has for an additional object to provide a metal tiestructure of such form that the tie may be securely anchored upon theroad bed and held in place by the crushed rock or other ballastingmaterial.

It is a further general object of my invention, to provide a railroadtie having the above noted advantgeous features, which is exceedinglystrong and durable in its construction, light in weight, eiective andreliable in practical use and which can be manufactured at relativelysmall cost.

Vith the above and other objects in View the invention consists in theimproved construction, combination and arrangement of the several partsas will be hereinafter more fully described, subsequently claimed andillustrated in the accompanying drawing in which similar referencecharacters designate corresponding parts throughout the several viewsand wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved railroad tie showing themanner of ballasting the tie upon the road bed;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view;

Fig. 3 is a top plan View;

Fig. 4 is a bottom plan view; and

Fig. 5 is a section taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 3.

Referring in detail to the drawing 5 designates the base of the tie, 6the opposite side walls thereof, 7 the end walls and 8 the top wall.This tie is preferably constructed of cast metal and the several partsthereof may be assembled and secured together by any Specification ofLetters Patent.

Patented Mar. 19, V1918.

Serial No. 208,361.

gitudinal inclination in relatively opposite`r directions andsubstantially in parallel relation to the curved port-ions of the wall8.

12 designates a pair of spring plates which are secured at one of theirends in any preferred manner to the top side of a rectangular meta-lblock 13 which is seated upon the base wall of the tie body between thelower ends of the spaced webs 11. These spring plates l2 arelongitudinally curved and extend in opposite directions between thecurved top wall section 8 and in close proximity thereto. Each of saidsprings at its end is bolted or otherwise fixed to a metal plate 14which is disposed upon the underside of the spring plate 12 and extendsacross substantially the entire width of the tie. To this plate 14 theupper end of a coil spring l5 is secured, the lower end of said springbeing fitted within an annular retaining ange 16 upon the base wall ofthe tie.

R designates the rail, which is secured upon the end of the spring platel2 by the clamping bolts indicated at 17. Y

Upon the underside of the base wall 5 of the tie, flanges or ribs 18 areintegrally formed and extend along the longitudinal edges of the tie.These flanges are connected at intervals by means of the spacedtransverse ribs 19.

As seen in Fig. l1 of the drawing, the ribs 18 and 19 are securelyembedded in the road bed and prevent the longitudinal or lateralshifting movement of the tie body. The ballasting material indicated atB covers the central portion of the top wall of the tie filling thedepression formed by the curved wall sections 9. Thus it will bemanifest that the tie body is securely anchored or held against shiftingmovement upon the road bed.

The top wall of the tie at the points 'the construction and severaladvantages of my improved rail road tie will be clearly .and fullyunderstood. 10v

Nlien the locomotive passes over the tie, the weight thereof isyieldingly cushioned by means of the f heavy coil spring l5 and thespring plates l2 so that wear upon vthe tie is reduced 'to a minimum,and displacement of the ballast is obviated. Also it is to be noted thatby moiuiting the rails upon the tie in the inanner above described, therails are held against relative lateral spreading movement, thusobviating the possible wreckage of the train; the several parts of theimproved tie are of a relatively simple form, and can be constructed atsmall cost and readily assembled. The tie as la whole is very durableand relatively light in weight.

' While l have herein shown and described the preferred construction andarrangement vof the several parts employed it is to be invention asclaimed.

Having thus fully described my invention what I claim and desire tosecure 'by Letters Patent is:

l. ln combination, a hollow metal tie having its top and side walls cutaway adjacent its ends to permit of a limited downward movement of therails, anda pair of spring plates centrally held within the hollow tieand extending longitudinally in relatively opposite directions, therails being secured upon the respective spring plates.

2. ln combination, a hollow metal tie having its top and side walls cutaway adjacent its ends to permit of a limited downward movement of therails, a pair of spring plates centrally held within the 'hollow tie.and extending longitudinally in relatively mit of the limited verticalmovement of the respective rails, a pair of spring plates and a rigidconnection between the saine at one y of their ends, means centrallyloca ted within the tie body to retain the connecting means thereinagainst shifting movement, said spring plates extending longitudinallyof the tie in relatively opposite directions, metal plates secured tothe free ends of the spring plates upon which the rails are adapted tobe secured, and a coil spring arranged within each end of the tiebetween the base thereof and one of said metal plates.

el. i hollow metal tie having yielda-ble rail supporting means therein,the top wall of the tie being downwardly and inwardly curved totheeenter of the tieto provide a depression for the reception vof theballasting material.

5. A railroad tie having its upper surface longitudinally curvedinwardly and downwardly from the ends of the tie to its center toprovide a depression for the reception of the ballasting material.

ln testimony whereof l hereunto affix my signature in the presence oftwo witnesses.

VILLKAM A. LUCAS.

Vitnesses: C. R. FLINT,

A. E. GALE.

Sepies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C.

